


Learning to Fall (and the Art of Getting Back Up)

by Midnight_Queen



Series: SFW Tolkien Discord [4]
Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, And by that I mean he's an absolute pain in the ass, And raised them, But Fingolfin and Finarfin are still brothers, Can I tag 'Everyone Is Gay'?, Celebrian is a contemporary ballet dancer, Elrond is a paramedic/EMT, Elros is a good twin brother, Everyone Is Gay, F/M, Gen, How do I tag?, It'll get explained later on, Just about everyone is alive, M/M, Maedhros is a good hybrid dad-uncle, Maglor adopted Elrond and Elros, Maglor is a good dad, Modern AU, Shenanigans, So is Elros, So the Feanorions are not related to Fingolfin and Finarfin in this au, Some not nice language used like throughout, Wow a Silmarillion AU where no one dies brutally? Nice, more tags to be added eventually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-05-13 21:11:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14756384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Midnight_Queen/pseuds/Midnight_Queen
Summary: Life is a journey; it has ups and downs. Everyone falls at some points, that's just how life goes. The fact that we fall is not as important as how and when we get back up. There's something beautiful, artistic even, about rising from a dark time in your life to find happiness, healing, and people who want to go on the journey with you.Or, Elrond and Celebrian meet in an unexpected way, they eventually fall in love, and slowly realize that they want to stumble through the journey of life together. With some help from their beloved family and friends, of course.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Silmarillion or any of those characters mentioned in this piece! It all belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien!

Celebrían woke up at nearly eight-thirty, without having set an alarm the night before. She felt around her nightstand for a moment for a hair tie before wrestling her long silver hair into a messy, slightly uneven braid, so it would be out of her way until she could deal with it properly. After securing her hair and tossing it over her shoulder, she rose from bed and ran through her routine of light stretches and exercises she made a habit of doing on mornings she didn’t have to be at the dance studio early. Mornings like this one.

Afterwards, Celebrían padded out of her room, still in her pajamas, and down the short hallway that led to the open kitchen and living room area that made up the majority of space in her apartment. Grabbing a glass from her cabinet and an apple from a basket on her counter, she opened the fridge and stood for a moment, making a face at the contents. _I guess toast it is, then…I need to go food shopping._ She thought. Breakfast consisted of the apple she was nearly finished with before deciding what else to eat, a glass of orange juice, and toast with whatever was left of the raspberry jam.

Celebrían was dressed, had washed and moisturized her face, and had managed to pull her curly hair up into a bun high on her head within an hour of waking up. After quickly running a load of laundry, she decided that even if classes at the dance studio wouldn’t start until mid-afternoon, she had too much energy to sit at home. _Sofia should be up by now. Maybe I can convince her to come to the studio and practice with me for an hour or so. Then I can go food-shopping before we have the kids’ class at 3:30, and while I’m out I’ll pick up something for dessert for when I go to Ada and Nana’s for dinner tonight._ She thought.

Satisfied with this plan, Celebrían packed her ballet shoes in a small duffel bag, along with a bottle or two of water, a hand towel, extra hair ties, her keys, and her wallet. She sent a quick text to Sofia, and checked news and social media outlets on her laptop while she waited for a response. Her phone buzzed next to her on the kitchen table, and Celebrían smiled when she saw Sofia’s picture come up.

            _Sofia: Bri, I love you, you know I do…But you want me to do what? At this time of the morning?_

Celebrían rolled her eyes.

            _Celebrían: It’s almost 10 am Fi…Come to the studio and practice for the spring recital with me? Only for an hour or so?_

 _Ugh,_ was the only response Celebrían received. She made a face at her phone before an idea came to her and she smirked, fingers flying across the phone’s touchscreen as she typed.

            _Celebrían: What if we went to that coffee shop/café place and got breakfast first?_

Celebrían could see Sofia perk up in her mind’s eye at that. Seconds later her phone buzzed again.

            _Sofia: I’m listening_

Celebrían laughed outright at her friend’s response, and arranged for the two of them to meet at the small café she had mentioned, conveniently located across the street from the dance studio. She then slipped on her shoes and left, tossing her phone into her duffel bag, fishing her keys out of the bag, and slinging said bag over her shoulder as she walked down the stairs to the first floor and then out of her apartment building to her car.

            “You’re lucky I like you, Bri. I don’t tend to do physical activity before noon for _anyone_.” Sofia said by way of greeting when she caught sight of her friend entering the café. Celebrían turned to face the other young woman, smiling. Sofia was dressed in similar work-out clothing to Celebrían; black leggings and a golden yellow tank top which complimented her darker skin, but the bright color looked comically out of place considering her fiercely irritated expression, and the tired brown eyes she watched Celebrían with.

            “And yet,” Celebrían began as she sat down, placing her bag on the floor beside her and pulling her sky-blue shirt back up her on her shoulder. “You’re also a contemporary ballet dancer, who helps Miss Andrea and me teach the young girls at the studio. And then there’s the fact that you’re actually _here_. Good morning to you too, by the way.” She finished, laughing slightly as Sofia narrowed her eyes slightly, and moved a strand of dark hair that had escaped her bun, dramatically maintaining eye contact with Celebrían as she did so.

            “Fair enough. But I do consider you one of my best friends. So, there’s that.” Sofia replied, smiling wryly.

            Once Sofia had eaten--and remarked that Celebrían’s morning was more put-together than Sofia’s whole life when she said she had already had breakfast--the two young women walked across the street to the dance studio. Walking through the waiting room, where a number of parents usually sat in groups to watch classes, at this time of day was almost surreal. The studio itself was empty, and the small office that opened into the waiting room was only occupied by the studio’s owner, Andrea, who smiled brightly when Celebrían and Sofia entered at almost ten-thirty.

Andrea had owned the studio for years, and had already owned it for years when Celebrían began taking classes as a child. She had seen and taught countless students in her time, had worked alongside some of the most well-known dancers and choreographers in the industry over the years, and while she occasionally bemoaned the graying of her auburn hair and the stiffness of her joints that came with inevitably getting older, she wouldn’t have had it any other way. All of her students were her pride and joy, but she would admit to having a special place in her heart for students she had watched grow up, as she had Celebrían and Sofia.

“Well, good morning! I wouldn’t have expected you for a while yet.” Andrea said conversationally as the young women entered.

“Good morning, Miss Andrea.” Celebrían replied. “And yes, it might be a little early for us, considering classes don’t start until three-thirty, but I felt like up and at it this morning.” She added.

“And Sofia felt like free breakfast and coffee was enough compensation for getting up and being at it this morning.” Sofia chimed in, brandishing her almost-empty cup of coffee. “Bri might be a morning person, but I’m not…And while she looks sweet and innocent, she’s apparently not above bribery.” Sofia continued, but there was no real annoyance in her tone, and her smile to Andrea, as well as the purposefully silly face she made at Celebrían, took away from any she might have feigned. Andrea chuckled, and waved the women towards the door into the dance studio proper.

Celebrían and Sofia took off their street shoes at the door of the studio. As soon as Celebrían had her soft shoes on, she entered the room, taking a deep breath and smiling to herself. She glanced quickly over her shoulder to see Sofia standing in the doorway putting her shoes on. Celebrían bent her knees, lifting her right leg and sending herself into a series of spins, using Sofia to spot.

“Celebrían…” Sofia said, trying to keep a straight face and stern tone to her voice, failing after a moment as she laughed softly at her friend. “You cannot just do triple pirouettes first thing in the morning. It’s just not allowed.” She stated, watching Celebrían place her leg behind her, landing the movement.

“Why not though?” Celebrían asked, fake-pouting for a moment.

She folded her long legs under herself, and sat on the floor to stretch, beckoning Sofia over as she did. Sofia sat in front of Celebrían, stretching her legs out in front of her so that her feet almost touched Celebrían’s. The two had developed a habit of stretching this way years ago; they sat facing each other, and mirrored the other as they flexed and stretched their feet and legs. Following this, both young women backed away from each other slightly, moving into splits, and stretching their upper bodies forward, grabbing each other’s hands to stop themselves from bouncing while trying to stretch.

Once they had stretched and warmed up with other basic exercises they knew by heart at this point in their dance careers, Sofia and Celebrían began to work on the routines they were set to perform at the studio’s spring recital two weeks away. One routine was a group dance they would perform with two other young women. The other one was a solo routine Celebrían would perform; yet Andrea had insisted on Sofia learning it as well, just in case. The two young women continued like this for almost an hour and a half, practicing both routines together, then playing the performance music on Sofia’s phone and watching one another, giving advice.

“Hey, Fi, can you play the solo routine one last time. I want to run it again before we leave, okay?” Celebrían asked, pulling her hair entirely out of the bun it had been falling out of and fixing it. Sofia nodded, grinning at her friend.

“You got this, Bri. You can do it!” Sofia exclaimed, beginning the song and watching Celebrían take her opening position sitting on the floor. Sofia silently watched most of the routine, mentally taking a few notes of advice to give her friend, until nearly the end. “Alright Bri, big finish! You can do it!” She called.

Celebrían spared the moment before she did the routine’s final, and only, series of consecutive jumps to smile ahead of her at Sofia. The first jumps in the series were nearly flawless; Celebrían had dedicated long hours of practice to this routine, occasionally at odd hours of the day or night. The final jump, however, had proved a challenge for her. _You can do it. You’ve done it before. You know you’ve got this._ Celebrían internally steeled herself, and leaped.

As Celebrían landed the last jump, her ankle wobbled and suddenly collapsed beneath her. A sickening pop rang through the room. Sofia’s heart stopped, then began to race as Celebrían cried out in pain and collapsed to the floor. Sofia was at Celebrían’s side in an instant.

“Holy shit! Bri! Are you alright? What am I saying? Of course you’re not alright. Oh my God, that looks bad.” Sofia said all at once, taking in the awkward angle at which Celebrían’s ankle now bent. Celebrían sobbed again, and tears began to fall down her face as she mumbled to her friend. “Andrea! Andrea! Celebrían fell and her ankle’s hurt! What do we do?” Sofia called, her own voice wavering as tears of fear and sympathy welled in her own eyes.

Andrea came running into the studio, and cursed under her breath when she saw Celebrían hunched over her ankle, crying in pain, with Sofia kneeling on the floor beside her, one arm wrapped around her friend’s shoulders. She ran back into her office, grabbing a few pillows she kept there, as well as the women’s duffel bags on her way back, knowing they would have to elevate Celebrían’s ankle.

“Celebrían. Celebrían, sweetheart, look at me. You’re going to be alright, yeah? Come here, we’re going to elevate this ankle, and we’re going to get you some help, alright?” Andrea said as she piled the towels from the duffel bags as well as the pillows, very slowly moving Celebrían’s leg to said pile of pillows. Celebrían nodded, trying to take deep breaths to steady herself. Andrea then turned to lock eyes with Sofia.

“Call for an ambulance, stay with her. I’ll go out front so they see us when they get here.” She said seriously, with an air of authority the young women had rarely seen from her.

* * *

            “Elrond! Dude! Come on, we’ve got a call!” Elros called, grabbing his twin brother by the arm as he ran down to the engine ladder to get in an ambulance.

Elrond, for his part, had been completely zoned out until that point in time, but was now wide awake and alert. He and Elros had gotten into work roughly an hour beforehand, and had not heard from dispatch until then, as he assumed Elros had just received a call from dispatch. Both of them nodded to their superiors as they passed, and Elrond hauled himself into the passenger seat of the ambulance as Elros turned the engine over, and the gate was opened for them.

“Alright, fill me in, what are we dealing with?” Elrond asked, barely even blinking as Elros flipped on the lights and sirens. He quickly checked his wrists for a hair tie to pull back his shoulder length hair with, poking Elros’ shoulder when he didn’t have one. Elros’ hair was significantly longer, so he could usually be counted on to have a hair tie. _Though_ , Elrond noted. _For once it seemed like Elros has tied his hair back before having it loose becomes an occupational hazard._

“Call from the dance studio on Prospect. One of the dancers fell during practice, and from the sound of things, we’re probably looking at a sprained or broken ankle.” Elros responded, momentarily steering with one hand to hand Elrond a hair tie. “Patient is still conscious, and hopefully calming down a little.” He said. Elrond nodded.

“Could you put both hands on the wheel? We might be allowed to break the speed limit, but I don’t need you not paying attention while doing it.” Elrond said, noting that Elros had continued to drive one-handed.

“You sound like Ada.” Elros snickered. They arrived at the dance studio soon after, and Elrond pointed out an older woman with hair that was still more auburn than gray waiting outside the studio for them. She introduced herself as Andrea and led them into the studio as soon as they were out of the ambulance.

Elrond quickly assessed the situation. It seemed there were only two other people in the studio. One was a young woman with dark hair and dark brown eyes, who looked at Elrond and Elros and promptly told the dispatcher on the phone that help had arrived, hanging up the phone afterwards. The other young woman was obviously their patient; she sat on the floor of the studio with her ankle propped up on pillows and towels. _Good, the swelling shouldn’t be as bad then._ Elrond thought as he made his way into the room towards them, noting that the young woman with silver hair appeared to be relatively calm, though obviously in pain. _Oh wow, she’s really pretty…_ A part of Elrond’s mind mused. _Wait what? No, deal with that later, right now she needs help._

“Hello miss. My name is Elrond, and my brother over here is Elros. We’re here to help.” A soothing voice sounded from next to Celebrían. She turned to look for the source of the voice and found a young man, roughly her age, with chestnut brown hair, hazel eyes, and, apparently, the smoothest voice Celebrían had ever heard. _Oh damn, he’s cute. He is…really nice to look at. Wait what? What are you doing? Now is_ not _the time_. She thought, vaguely aware of introducing herself.

“Alright, Celebrían, can you tell me what happened?” Elrond asked, noting Elros arriving again with the stretcher they were likely to need. Celebrían’s eyes followed his, and she too noted the stretcher, eyes widening. “Don’t worry about it, we’ve got you.” Elrond assured her.

“Okay, okay. I, uh, I landed a jump badly, and my ankle kinda…buckled under me and popped. I fell too.” Celebrían said, wincing internally at how awkward she sounded. _As if this isn’t embarrassing enough. First, I fell, and now I can’t even speak English to the, admittedly really cute, paramedic trying to help me._ She thought.

Elrond nodded and turned his attention to Celebrían’s ankle, while Elros talked to her and her friend. Elrond noted that the ankle was bent at a slightly awkward angle. They would need to do an X-ray at the hospital, as Elrond couldn’t quite tell if it was broken. More likely, there were ligaments torn or overstretched from where Celebrían had twisted and fallen on it. Elrond gingerly felt around the area, asking Celebrían what, specifically, hurt. At one point she hissed in pain, and Elrond knew that one of the ligaments on the outside of her ankle was torn at least a little. After relaying all of this information, he moved next to Celebrían again.

“Alright, it’s not terrible.” Elrond told her. She laughed slightly, raising an eyebrow. “But, I’m fairly certain one of the ligaments on the outside part of your ankle is torn. When we get to the hospital, they’ll take an X-ray to see if anything is broken, but I don’t think so.” He said. Elros shifted, so that he was half-kneeling on the other side of the young woman.

“Okay, Bri. Can I call you, Bri? We’re going to have to move you to the stretcher now, and then we’ll be on our way. You’re going to be fine.” Elros said, smiling brightly.

Celebrían nodded, and Elrond and Elros looked at each other, counting to three together before lifting the young woman onto the stretcher. Once they were out of the studio, and had safely moved Celebrían into the ambulance, Elros turned to his brother.

“First of all, I’m going to let you drive. I’ll stay with Bri. Where are we taking her by the way?” he asked. Elrond nodded, taking the keys from his brother.

“Irmo-Lorien. They’re the closest, and overall one of the best.” Elrond answered almost instinctively.

“Right, cool.” Elros nodded, then paused for a second before grinning. “Also, you definitely like her.” He whispered. Elrond turned around to look at him so fast, Elros thought he might give himself whiplash.

“What? No, I don’t. She’s a patient who needs our help.” Elrond replied firmly.

“Right.” Elros drawled. “We’ll talk about it later, then…Lights and sirens?” he asked, climbing into the back of the ambulance.

“It’s not a life-threatening situation, I don’t think they’re necessary.” Elrond replied. Elros began chanting ‘Lights and sirens’ even as Bri laughed from her place on the stretcher, Elrond and Elros closed the doors to the back of the ambulance, and Elrond quickly pulled himself into the driver’s seat. Taking a deep breath and rolling his eyes, he flipped on the lights and sirens as he pulled away from the curb, pushing even the bounds of an ambulance’s allowable speed limit as he raced to Irmo-Lorien Hospital and Rehabilitation Center.

Once they were at the hospital, Elrond found himself significantly more worried about Celebrían than before. _Was her ankle really broken? What about the ligaments? Were they torn completely or just a little? She has parents or close friends she can call to come help her out, right?_ These and many other questions ran through his mind as he spoke to hospital personnel and ER staff about the situation. He completely missed his brother standing next to Celebrían, whispering something, and handing her a piece of paper. Soon after, Celebrían was safely in the hands of the hospital’s capable staff, and Elrond and Elros left.

A while later, Celebrían was sitting in a hospital room, waiting for a doctor to come in to discuss her X-ray results and trying to decide who to call first; Sofia to ask her to drive her car back to her apartment, or her parents to ask them to meet her at the hospital. _Sofia first, so you can mentally prepare for Ada and Nana freaking out_. She decided. Once her phone calls were said and done, she wondered about the note Elros had given her. The note was still folded up and tucked in her hand, and Celebrían burned with curiosity for a moment before opening it.

_Elrond is definitely, completely smitten with you. He won’t say anything, though. Here’s his cell phone number. Call him maybe?_

Celebrían laughed out loud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: So there you have it. The first chapter of this new AU of mine, that will probably get pretty involved and complicated at some points. I want to give a special shout out to the discord fam, for partially inspiring the initial idea for this AU, and for supporting me in writing it. You guys are great. Thank you for reading! Please comment to let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Silmarillion or any of those characters mentioned in this piece! It all belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien!

          Both Celeborn and Galadriel turned their heads sharply as the ringing of the phone cut through the relative silence of the room. Galadriel reached to answer it, frowning and furrowing her brows slightly as she read the caller ID. Celeborn opened his mouth to ask who it was when Galadriel shook her head and waved a hand at him, her light blonde hair catching the sunlight and glowing gold as she moved.

“Hello…Celebrían? What’s up, honey?” Galadriel asked, confusion and slight concern in her voice. Celeborn sat up straighter and listened intently, though he couldn’t hear much from the end of the line. He did, however, hear his daughter’s hesitance before she continued, saying something that sounded like ‘Hi Nana…Okay…Please don’t freak out, but…’. Celeborn continued to watch the exchange, taking in the subtle changes in Galadriel’s facial expression as she spoke to Celebrían, fidgeting slightly in his seat and beginning to worry as his wife’s blue-grey eyes widened and she bit her lip. She nodded a few more times before hanging up the phone, promising Celebrían that they would be there soon. _Wherever there is._ Celeborn thought, walking around the kitchen table to stand by Galadriel.

            “What’s going on, love? Is Bri alright? What happened?” Celeborn asked, putting a hand on Galadriel’s shoulder. She took a deep, shaky breath as if to calm herself down and tilted her head back to look at him.

            “Bri’s…alright. She went to the dance studio this morning to practice with one of her friends. But she fell.” Galadriel explained, pausing when Celeborn drew in a sharp breath. “She hurt her ankle. They think she sprained it badly. She’s at Irmo-Lorien hospital.” She finished. Celeborn sighed deeply, running a hand through his silver hair.

            “We’re going to see her right?” Celeborn asked, already searching for his keys.

            “Yes. That’s why she called. She wants us to be there, and she’ll need someone to drive her home, after all.” Galadriel answered, chuckling slightly. She then got up from the table, slipped on a pair of shoes, grabbed her bag, and she and Celeborn left their house.

            Celeborn sat in the car for a moment before they left, his head leaned back against the headrest, staring up at the ceiling of the car. He took deep breaths, trying to calm himself before they went to the hospital to see Celebrían. Galadriel watched him silently for a moment, and she could practically see the thoughts that must have been racing through his mind; all the worries and anxiety he felt shone clearly in his bright blue eyes. Galadriel reached across the center console and took his hand in hers, smiling slightly when he turned to look at her.

            “She’s going to be fine, love. She’ll be determined not to let this injury stop her.” She assured him. Celeborn smiled back at her.

            “I know she will, she always is. But that will never stop me from worrying about her.” Celeborn responded, leaning towards Galadriel to kiss her cheek. “Especially because she’s just as headstrong and determined as her mother.” He added, kissing her once more before pulling back to start the car. Galadriel fixed him with an unimpressed look before smacking his leg lightly and rolling her eyes.

 

* * *

 

           “Miss Noldoran-Linden?” The nurse asked gently as she entered the room. Celebrían’s head snapped up from the magazine she had been absently flipping through, as she looked at the nurse.

            “Yes?” She replied, smiling and pushing some stray pieces of hair away from her face.

            “I’ve just been informed that your parents are here. Would you like me to send them in?” The nurse asked. Said nurse, a middle-aged woman with kind eyes, smiled as she watched her patient perk up immediately, nodding so furiously her curly hair bounced around her face.

            “Yes! Please do that. I want to make sure that my dad doesn’t freak out, you know?” Celebrían said. The nurse nodded and left. A few moments later there was a knock on the door, and Celebrían turned to see her parents enter the room. Galadriel smiled at her daughter, and Celeborn crossed the room in a few strides to be at her bedside.

            “Bri! Oh god, what happened? Are you alright? Have you had an x-ray yet? Has the doctor been in to see you yet?” Celeborn asked, searching Celebrían’s face. He hated to see her like this. She was always a bright, lively, warm personality. To see her sitting in a hospital bed—was that a _cast_ on her leg? —without being able to do anything for her…It hurt Celeborn in his soul. It felt wrong.

            “Hi Ada, it’s good to see you too.” Celebrían said, interrupting his flow of increasingly worried questions. The young woman snickered slightly when she heard her mother laugh as she came up to the other side of the bed. Celeborn simply narrowed his eyes at her. “Please calm down, Ada. I’m alright. Yes, they took an x-ray, but no, the doctor hasn’t been in here yet.” She explained. Galadriel nodded, noting the support structure on her daughter’s leg, and how her husband seemed to be alternating between looking worriedly at it and looking worriedly at Celebrían’s face.

            “What is this on your ankle now? It’s not a full cast is it?” Galadriel asked, gesturing towards Celebrían’s ankle.

            “No, nana. They said it’s a walking boot, though it’s kind of similar to a cast.” Celebrían replied, lifting her leg slightly as if to gesture with said walking boot. Celeborn immediately placed a hand on her knee to stop the movement.

            “So…It’s not broken then?” Celeborn asked. Celebrían shrugged. Galadriel shook her head slightly.

            “I don’t think so, love.” Galadriel responded.

            A few moments later, the doctor entered the room to speak with Celebrían. Introductions were made, and the doctor confirmed Galadriel’s theory, telling them that Celebrían’s ankle was not broken, but badly sprained. Celebrían smarted a bit at learning she would have to wear the boot for two weeks, but was relieved to learn that the injury would not leave any lasting effects or inhibit her dancing ability once it healed. Celebrían was given crutches to walk with, and discharged soon afterwards, Galadriel taking the keys from her husband and going to bring the car to the front of the hospital, and Celeborn helping his daughter to her feet and fussing over her as she began moving on her crutches.

 

* * *

 

            Elrond and Elros got home from work in the evening hours. It had been a long, if relatively uneventful day, and despite that it was later than what many people would consider an acceptable dinner time, Elrond smelled something cooking as he came inside, left his shoes at the door, and went into the living room.

            “Hey dads! We’re home!” Elros announced as he entered the living room and dramatically dropped down on the couch. Elrond raised an eyebrow, poking at Elros’ legs until he moved them to make room on the couch.

            “Hey boys!” Daeron called, poking his head out from the kitchen. “I’m making pasta. You hungry?” He asked, huffing to move some of his long, chestnut brown hair out of his face. Both young men responded to this by nodding and murmuring ‘yes’.

            “Hey boys! How was your day?” Maglor asked, entering the living room. Elros moved sharply to sit upright on the couch, and opened his mouth to respond, but Elrond was quicker.

            “Hey Ada! Work was alright today. Not really busy, which is good.” Elrond said, fidgeting slightly in his seat. Maglor raised an eyebrow.

            “We had one emergency call today though!” Elros interjected, grinning internally when Elrond’s fidgeting continued. “Yeah, we had a call from the dance studio. There was this girl, her name’s Bri, she’s great. But she fell during a practice and messed up her ankle.” Elros continued. Elrond felt himself blush and cursed internally. “And dads! Let me tell you about this gossip because our poor boy Elrond is a _mess_.” Elros finished, grinning wildly.

            “Elros no.” Elrond stated, turning to give his brother a warning look.

            “Elros _yes_. You’re going to need all the help you can get, my dude.” Elros replied. Maglor stifled a chuckle, resting his chin on his hand. He noted Daeron moving into the kitchen from the living room and leaning on the back of the armchair Maglor was sitting on.

            “Oh no, what happened?” Maglor asked, looking between his boys. Elrond’s cheeks were still pink, and Elros was still grinning widely.

            “So we get the call, right? And we head over to the dance studio, thinking someone got hurt during practice. Which, like I said, is what happened. And then we get there, and the girl who got hurt is sitting with her ankle propped up on some pillows and stuff.” Elros paused here to look at Daeron. “Her name’s Bri, in case you missed. And I swear it’s like Elrond has never seen a girl in his life. Oh my _god_.” Elros continued. Elrond rolled his eyes. Maglor bit back a smirk.

           “Oh really? Is she pretty?” Maglor asked. Elrond blushed bright red, and Elros burst into hysterical laughter. Daeron chuckled and nudged Maglor slightly, as if silently asking him not to embarrass Elrond too much.

           “Actually yeah, she’s really pretty. Not really my type, but _definitely_ Elrond’s type.” Elros replied, looking at Elrond, who narrowed his eyes at his brother. Elros returned the look.

           “Is she now? Do tell me more.” Maglor encouraged. Daeron shook his head, smiling.

           “So Elrond is standing there, gaping like a fish out of water and letting me do all the work.” Elros started, putting his arm out to block his face when Elrond moved to smack his shoulder.

           “Excuse you. I let you handle the talking to her and her friend part, while I actually took care of her ankle.” Elrond corrected, tilting his chin up slightly. “And! You made me drive to the hospital.” He added, elbowing at Elros.

          “Yeah but that was only so I could tell Celebrían embarrassing stories about you in the back.” Elros said. Elrond’s eyes widened.

          “You did what?” he asked. Maglor cast a warning look at Elros, and Daeron put his head in his hands, stifling laughter.

          “Oh my god it’s like the jokes write themselves.” Elros commented. “Relax bro, she laughed at them, you’re fine.” He added, winking at Elrond.

          “Elros! That’s not helpful!” Elrond exclaimed, nervously running a hand through his dark brown hair.

          “Really? I think it was pretty helpful.” Elros replied nonchalantly. “And at least I got you to admit you like her.” He added. Elrond stammered for a moment, looking for a response.

          “Hey now boys, break it up.” Maglor told them. Elrond and Elros nodded.

          “It’s alright Elrond, you take after your dad when it comes to romance.” Daeron said, looking down at Maglor, sitting in the armchair he was leaning on. Maglor tilted his head up to look back at Daeron, raising an eyebrow as if to say _As if you’re any better_. “Also, the pasta should be done in a minute.” Daeron stated.

          “Okay, cool. Let me go change real quick before dinner.” Elrond said, getting up from the couch and heading upstairs to his bedroom. Elros lingered for a moment, stretching his legs out across the couch.

          “I didn’t really tell her that many stories. And none of them were particularly embarrassing.” He commented after a moment, loudly enough that Elrond would be able to hear him upstairs. He then grinned again. “I totally gave her Elrond’s number though, and told her to call him.” He whispered, looking up to see Maglor and Daeron’s slightly shocked faces. There was a beat of silence before Daeron burst into peals of laughter.

          “Oh my god.” Maglor choked between laughing, shaking his head. The three moved into the kitchen and set the table for dinner. Elrond bounded down the stairs and joined them a moment later. “Well, in any case, at least one of my kids stands a chance of blessing me with grandkids.” He mused once he caught his breath. Elrond made a choking sound and started to laugh as he took his seat.

          “Wow Ada. Nice joke. Hiding real pain over here.” Elros responded, dramatically placing a hand over his heart. He retained that pose for a moment before digging into his food.

           Daeron found himself sitting back, watching his family fondly. Elrond and Elros continued to banter throughout dinner, and he and Maglor laughed and joked along with them. The whole house had the warm, cozy atmosphere of somewhere Daeron could, and would always, call _home_. It was something he had not had as a kid, being an only child. He had not had someone to banter with and tease over dinner, the way Elrond and Elros did…They way he now had Maglor. He turned for a moment to look at his husband. Maglor was laughing at something one of the twins had said, his grey eyes sparkling, and his chin-length, curly, black hair bouncing as he tossed his head back. Maglor then locked eyes with him and placed his hand over Daeron’s. Yes, Daeron had Maglor now; he and his kids had welcomed Daeron into their life. Daeron would always count himself lucky for it, even if he sometimes wondered what he had done to deserve such wonderful people in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: And there we have chapter two! I hope you all enjoyed it! Please leave me a comment if you did, and have a nice day!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Silmarillion or any of those characters mentioned in this piece! It all belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien!

 

_Sofia: You’d better have that ankle elevated on something when I get there, Bri._

Celebrían smiled to herself as she read the text message. She then turned her head to look towards her fridge, slowly pulling herself up from the couch and hobbling into the kitchen, the boot she now wore making a thunking sound on the floor as she walked. After taking another dose of the painkillers she had been prescribed and retrieving an ice pack from the freezer, Celebrían dropped heavily back onto the couch and set about undoing the various Velcro straps that held the walking boot in place on her leg. As soon as she had propped her ankle up on a pillow and wrapped the ice pack around it, Celebrían’s phone buzzed again, and a text told her Sofia was there.

“Hey Bri!” Sofia announced as she entered the apartment. Celebrían waved from the couch. “How are you feeling? Did they give you painkillers?” Sofia asked, unloading some plastic bags onto Celebrían’s kitchen counter and beginning to sort through them.

“Yeah, they did!” Celebrían called, watching her friend move through the apartment as easily as if it were her own, putting away some groceries she had gotten and pulling out what looked like containers of takeout food.

“Okay but are you actually _taking_ them?” Sofia asked, closing the freezer and turning to fix Celebrían with a raised eyebrow and questioning stare. Celebrían chuckled.

“Yes mom, I took my meds today.” She replied. Sofia smirked and rolled her eyes.

“I brought ice cream and takeout from that Italian place you like.” Sofia stated, collecting silverware and takeout containers before moving into the living room. Celebrían murmured her gratitude, taking her container—gnocchi with marinara sauce, her favorite—as Sofia sat down on beside her with her own container of penne a la vodka. Sofia then reached across the coffee table, carefully avoiding Celebrían’s propped-up foot, grabbed the remote to the T.V., and began channel surfing.

“How have rehearsals been going?” Celebrían asked. Sofia pouted dramatically for a moment, tossing her dark, tightly curly hair over her shoulder to look at Celebrían with her eyes wide in a puppy-dog look.

“The little girls in the beginner class are literally _so sad_ that you’re gone!” Sofia exclaimed. Celebrían knitted her eyebrows together and cooed softly. “Evelyn, the little one with the bangs that never stay in her bun, is so upset. I think you’re her favorite teacher.” Sofia continued.

“Aww! No! I feel bad.” Celebrían stated, picturing her students’ responses to being told she was hurt. “I’m going to the recital anyway. I want to see them perform. They worked so hard for this.” She mused. “Speaking of working hard! You’re doing the solo now right? And the group we were supposed to be in, does that work with just the three of you?” She asked, tilting her head towards her best friend.

“Oh, don’t feel bad, Bri. It’s alright. Yeah, I’m going to do the solo now. And the group thing looks really good as a trio dance.” Sofia said, nudging Celebrían’s shoulder. “I’d love it if you could come, but I don’t want you to push yourself. Maybe you should bring someone along, that way you don’t have to drive?” Sofia suggested. Celebrían nodded calmly. Her thoughts soon became anything but calm, as she immediately thought of Elrond, whose number was now saved in her phone. _Ai! You have got to stop thinking about him. Just because his brother gave you his number doesn’t mean he actually likes you. It could just be a prank!_ She thought, shaking her head slightly as if it would derail that train of thought.

“That’s a good idea actually. But I think my parents are both busy that night. And I know you all have to be there much earlier, so I wouldn’t want to add stress for you.” Celebrían responded, trying to fight the blush she felt heating her face. Sofia tilted her head slightly, watching her friend.

“That’s fair.” She said, trailing off for a moment before a mischievous look entered her eyes. “What about that cute paramedic guy who showed up to the dance studio the day you got hurt? You know, the one that made you forget how to speak English for a minute.” Sofia continued, grinning. Celebrían blushed again.

“What about him?” She asked. Sofia laughed.

“Oh girl, really? I see you over there, blushing cherry-red. You _like_ this guy, don’t you?” Sofia snickered, tapping a finger to Celebrían’s nose. Celebrían crossed her blue eyes looking at said finger.

“And what if maybe I do? What do I do then, just invite him to the dance recital?” Celebrían asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I mean yeah, if you have his number. Well, actually, first we’re going to social media stalk him to make sure he’s not a creep, or secretly a serial killer, or one of those obnoxious right-wing conservatives.” Sofia replied, pulling her hair back into a messy bun, revealing more of her dark, caramel-brown skin. She then pulled her phone out of her back pocket and set to typing rapidly on it.

“Got him!” Sofia announced triumphantly a moment later. “His name is Elrond, yeah?” she asked, smiling when Celebrían nodded. “Right so, Elrond Peredhel. He’s on Facebook, but doesn’t post too much. His brother Elros, is everywhere. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, dude even runs a meme blog called Númenor. He’s got some solid general memes, and some memes that have got to be niche paramedic memes.” Sofia stated, snickering as she scrolled on her phone. Celebrían furrowed her eyebrows and leaned over her friend’s shoulder to see. The two girls spent a good amount of time looking through Elrond’s social media posts, looking at any posts Elros had tagged his twin brother in, and laughing at Elros’ blog posts.

“Okay, okay. So, he seems pretty cool, and not creepy.” Celebrían summarized. Sofia nodded.

“And pretty, just in general. Boy is _cute._ Bri, girl, you should really text this guy. Definitely invite him to the dance recital. It would be a good first date.” She added. Celebrían blushed again. _A date? With Elrond?_ She wondered incredulously, though she wasn’t necessarily opposed to the idea.

“You know what, Fi?” Celebrían replied, looking back at her friend and gathering her courage. “I think I will. I’ll text him later.” She said. The two women looked at each other for a moment before Sofia smiled.

“No, I think you should text him now. I want to watch you do it.” She stated, laughing when Celebrían gave her a mock-offended look before reaching to get her own cell phone.

* * *

 

“Holy shit! You actually did cut your hair.” Elrond mused, approaching Ereinion outside the small café they had decided to meet at. Ereinion laughed before turning to hug Elrond.

“Hi Elrond! It’s good to see you too!” Ereinion replied, only slightly sarcastically. “Yes, I did cut my hair. It’s still longer than yours, though.” He said, blue-grey eyes staring intently at a strand of hair that had fallen out of his ponytail.

“That’s true. But I don’t think you beat Elros anymore, and you’ll never hear the end of it.” Elrond said, smiling at his adoptive cousin. Ereinion looked thoughtful for a moment before letting his light blonde hair out of its ponytail, shaking it out to fall past his shoulders, ending just above his shoulder blades.

The café was crowded as the two young men sat, chatting and looking through the menu. Ereinion was only half paying attention as a server passed their table, carrying a tray of food with one arm, and another plate in the other hand. He noticed the young woman trip and stumble to try and keep her balance. In the middle of something Elrond had been saying, Ereinion jumped to his feet, catching young woman’s tray before anything dropped to the floor and helping her up from the crouching position she had landed in. She appeared slightly shocked as Ereinion handed the tray back to her, asking if she was alright. She nodded furiously, taking the tray and hurrying off.

“So, Prince Charming, how’s work going?” Elrond asked as Ereinion sat back down. Ereinion turned to face Elrond, flipping his hair as he did and batting his eyelashes for a moment before both of them dissolved into soft laughter.

“Damn, Elrond, I was just being nice.” Ereinion replied. “Anyway, work is good! You know…I have a coworker who calls me that too.” He continued.

“What? Prince Charming?” Elrond raised an eyebrow in an incredulous look that Ereinion thought was reminiscent of his own father, Maedhros.

“Yes!” Ereinion laughed. The conversation paused for a moment when a server approached their table to take their orders. “She said, and I’m going to quote her, ‘First of all, you named your blade something badass. Secondly, you’re like, a top-notch epee fencer. You’re good with the kids, and they love you. The older kids and teens look up to you as a role model. You’re just a generally good, caring, and hardworking person…And on top of all that you’re like, stupidly pretty. It’s not fair. You’re literally Prince Charming.’ What am I supposed to do with that, Elrond? Except, apparently make it a nickname.” Ereinion finished, rolling his eyes and joining in Elrond’s laughter.

“I’m not even the slightest bit surprised, Ereinion. Prince Charming confirmed.” Elrond supplied, smirking as Ereinion’s smile faded.

“Oh god, not you too! No, stop.” He said, planting his elbows on the table and running a hand through his hair.

“Alright, I won’t say anything. Just…” Elrond trailed off, holding eye contact with Ereinion, who raised an eyebrow slightly. “Just don’t let Elros hear about it, is all I’m saying.” Elrond finished, shrugging with a mischievous smile on his face. Ereinion gasped in mock horror, raising his eyebrows and slapping a hand to his mouth.

“Could you _imagine_? I’d never live it down.” He said, letting the exaggerated expression drop. Their food came few minutes later and conversation lapsed as the two ate.

“Wait, you named your fencing blade? Since when?” Elrond asked abruptly, looking curiously to his cousin. Ereinion waved towards Elrond, finishing his mouthful of food.

“Yeah, I named it Aeglos when I got it.” Ereinion answered, smiling. Elrond laughed, nodding.

“Yeah, you would, that sounds like you.” He agreed. Ereinion pushed his plate away from him, leaning his elbows onto the table.

“Anyway! How are you, Elrond? Work keeping you busy?” Ereinion asked.

Elrond chewed the inside of his cheek thoughtfully, trying to come up with an acceptable answer to Ereinion’s question. _Because I can’t just tell him about Celebrían, even if I’ve been thinking about her a lot. Because that’s weird. You hardly know her._ He thought.

“Work’s been alright.” He answered vaguely. Ereinion tilted his head slightly and was about to ask him to elaborate when Elrond’s phone buzzed on the table. Elrond reached for his phone, thinking it would give him a minute to compose a better reply. Elrond had thought wrong, as he quickly found out.

_[Unknown Number]: Hi Elrond! This is Celebrían. The girl from the dance studio? You and your brother helped me about a week ago. So thank you for that! Anyway, your brother gave me this number, and said I should call you. This is really weird, I know. I’m sorry. But, um, maybe it’s not a bad idea? You seem really nice, and I think I’d like to hang out with you. So…the spring recital for my dance studio is next week. Obviously I can’t perform, but I was going to go anyway to support my friends and my students…Would you want to go with me? We could get some food or coffee or something beforehand if you want?_

“Elros…Why would you do this to me? Why are you like this?...Elros!” Elrond exclaimed, confusion and vague distress written all over his face as he read the message on his phone again. _She wants to hang out with me? Possibly alone, with just us…But…Does that make it a date?_ He thought. Elrond could already feel his face heating up. Ereinion raised a blonde eyebrow.

“Are you okay? What did Elros do now?” he asked, watching Elrond with both amusement and concern.

“About a week ago, we had this emergency call. A young woman, like my age, fell in a dance studio and severely sprained her ankle. For some reason, Elros got it in his head that this girl and I like each other. So he gave her my number, and told her to call me.” Elrond explained, pausing when Ereinion began to laugh. “Anyway!” Elrond continued, glaring sideways at his cousin, whose laughter slowly subsided into the occasional snicker. “Anyway, she just texted me. She wants to meet up for coffee, and she wants me to go to the dance recital with her.” He finished.

“That’s…pretty smooth of her, actually.” Ereinion commented. Elrond narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, it’s kind of obnoxious that Elros gave her your number. But if you like her, or you think you could be friends—and judging by the look on your face, you _do_ and you _could_ —” Ereinion trailed off, smiling brightly at Elrond and winking. Elrond rolled his eyes. “You should go with her! It doesn’t have to be a _date_.” Ereinion concluded, watching Elrond shift in his seat at the word _date_. “Not yet anyway.” He added quickly.

“Really, Ereinion? You’re almost as bad as Elros.” Elrond responded, raising an eyebrow. Ereinion let out a short laugh.

“Oh I sincerely doubt that.” He stated, picking up the check as their server left it on the table. “Anyway, what are you doing later? I was going to have dinner with my dads, and you and your family are welcome to come over if you’re not busy.” Ereinion said, passing the check over to Elrond to look at when the other young man gestured for it.

“I wish I could! I haven’t seen Uncle Mae and Uncle Finno in a little bit, but I have to get up at some ungodly hour for work tomorrow. I’ll tell my dads, they might be able to make it over. I’ll tell Elros too, but I’m not sure what his schedule looks like for tomorrow and the rest of the week.” Elrond replied, smiling sheepishly.

“Don’t worry about it then! You’ll just have to come over another time.” Ereinion reassured him.

A few minutes later, once they had paid the check for their lunch and pooled their cash for a generous tip, Elrond and Ereinion left. The young woman who Ereinion had helped earlier waved to him as they left, thanking him one last time. Ereinion smiled brightly back at her and waved. Elrond only teased a little, and Ereinion ruffled his hair as the two stepped out of the café and hugged quickly before going their separate ways.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have chapter three! And the introduction of Gil-Galad! I recognize that he lowkey stole the spotlight this chapter, but I love him a lot, okay? Please comment to let me know what you think! Thank you for reading, and have a good day/night!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Silmarillion or any of those characters mentioned in this piece! It all belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien!

Celebrían stared into her closet, narrowing her eyes in frustration and trying to keep from fidgeting in nervousness. She was mostly successful, save for her foot tapping erratically. After another moment of her silent staring contest with her clothes, she sighed heavily, muttering to herself as she sat down on her bed and reached for her phone. _Wait._ She thought. _Sofia has the show tonight, she’ll be busy getting ready and dealing with her own nerves. I don’t want to bother her…But I need advice. I’m getting nervous and I don’t know what to wear. Or what to do on a first date since I haven’t been on any kind of date in ages. Who do I call?_ She wondered. Celebrían came up with someone to ask for advice after another moment and smiled.

            _Celebrían: Hey Uncle Finrod! So I need some advice real quick. And I can’t text Sofia because she has a show tonight. But I have a date, and I’m really nervous and I don’t know what to wear or what to do. Send help!_

Celebrían had barely sent the text message before she received an answer. She sighed in relief, reading the response she had gotten.

            _Uncle Finrod: Hey Bri! Okay wow, slow down, honey. We’re lucky I know who your best friend Sofia is, because I don’t now the deal with any of the rest of this. But I can tell that you’re nervous, so take a deep breath, sit down, and tell me everything._

Celebrían nodded as she read, biting the inside of her cheek, wondering how to tell her uncle everything that had happened in the last week. She settled for simply explaining the series of events in chronological order, and sent several messages detailing the spring recital at the dance studio, how she had been given a solo performance, how she had gotten hurt and now Sofia would now perform the solo. She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart before explaining how she had met Elrond—trying to ignore the wide, slightly silly smile that spread across her face as she did—and how she had asked him to go with her to the recital as a date.

            _Uncle Finrod: Damn, okay! First of all, send Sofia my best! Tell her I said to break legs! Second of all, you mean to tell me you went and sprained your ankle badly enough to warrant a boot right before a show? Yikes, Bri. How is it now? Are you doing alright? Third! This boy! Yes Bri. Yes. He seems like a good guy. Is he cute? Probably, but actually not the point I'm trying to make. Here's what we're going to do with you..._

Celebrían laughed when her uncle trailed off, imagining him preparing to send a series of smaller texts detailing his plan for how to help her get ready. She ended up being right, and her phone buzzed several times as she got up to rummage through her closet again. He advised her first to try and calm down, to be herself around Elrond. His second piece of advice was more specific.

            _Uncle Finrod: Okay now, what are you wearing is a good question. What’s the weather like?_

Celebrían furrowed her eyebrows. Her uncle didn’t live very far from her or her parents; not far enough, at any rate, to have drastically different weather than she was having.

            _Celebrían: You’re not home right now? I though you were?_

_Uncle Finrod: Nope! I landed in Spain last night. Otherwise I’d probably be at your apartment right now, let’s be real._

Celebrían laughed. He was right, and she could see it in her mind’s eye. Her favorite uncle would have driven to her house in lieu of texting her back, made her sit down and tell him everything, demanded to see pictures of Elrond, helped sort through her closet to find something to wear, and told her to wish everyone his best as she left. As it was, Celebrían explained to him that the weather was warm and rather nice, and it was supposed to rain later that night. She then spent some time trying on various outfits and sending him pictures of them until they put together an outfit they agreed on. Celebrían finished the look by applying some minimal makeup—a tinted moisturizer, mascara, and a light, neutral lipstick—and braiding her hair back so it was both out of her face and wouldn’t get too frizzy in the humidity.

* * *

 

Elrond mumbled to himself as he sat on his bed and scrolled through his phone. He read and reread texts he and Celebrían had sent over the last few days concerning their date. Elrond meticulously checked that he had the correct addresses for the dance studio, Celebrían’s apartment building, apartment number, and directions to both locations. Sighing deeply and putting his phone aside, he turned his attention to where Elros was rifling through his closet.

“Hey Elros…Should I get her flowers or no?” Elrond asked, getting up to stand at his brother’s side. Elros paused for a moment, obviously considering it. _Probably not. This seems like a little more casual affair, right?_ Elrond wondered.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for this time…Next time though!” Elros said cheerfully, pulling a few shirts out of Elrond’s closet. _Next time?!_ Elrond thought, not having considered the idea before. “Yeah, definitely next time. You could take her out for a nice dinner or something, and give her flowers when you go to get her. It’ll be cute.” Elros stated, holding up clothes to Elrond as if imagining how they would look.

“Since when are you such a romantic, Elros?” Elrond teased.

“I’m not.” Elros replied, rolling his eyes. Elrond raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. “Anyway! What are you wearing tonight? Because it’s definitely not that.” He continued, taking in Elrond’s current state—a pair of gym shorts and T-shirt—and holding up a dark green V-neck. Elrond shook his head.

“I don’t know. That shirt seems a little _too_ casual though.” Elrond replied, taking the shirt and putting it back in his closet. Elros stopped him.

“Maybe not. If you wear a nice leather jacket with it, it would look really good.” He commented. Elrond raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t _own_ one, though.” He argued. Elros waved him off.

“I do!” Elros insisted. Elrond shook his head, putting the shirt back into his closet.

“How about no?” Elrond responded, looking through his closet. He pulled out a pair of shorts he had been considering, and a shirt to go with them. “I have this polo though…” He trailed off, second-guessing his choice in the light of Elros’ incredulous look.

“With those shorts? Absolutely not, Elrond. I am not about to let you walk out of this house looking like a straight white dad going to a barbeque.” Elros said decisively. Elrond huffed indignantly for a moment before laughing. Elros joined in, laughing and moving to take the polo shirt away from him and put it back.

“Okay fine!” Elrond snickered, throwing his hands up. “What about this?” He asked, picking up one of the shirts Elros had pulled out earlier; a royal blue button-up.

“That’s acceptable.” Elros said. Elrond rolled his eyes, snickering. “But only if you leave the top like, three, undone.” He added. Elrond started slightly, raising an eyebrow. “And still not with those shorts.” Elros concluded, ignoring his brother’s embarrassment.

Elros bounded down the stairs, gesturing for his dads to join him in the living room. Maglor and Daeron exchanged a look, but followed Elros regardless. A few moments later, Elrond came down the stairs, dressed in the blue button-up and a pair of jeans. Against his own better judgement, Elrond had left the top buttons undone.

“Elros dressed you, didn’t he?” Daeron asked, smiling softly and watching as Elrond fidgeted with the collar of his shirt and began attempting to roll his sleeves up. Daeron stepped forward to help.

“He did. And he insisted I keep the top buttons undone. But I feel like a stripper.” Elrond replied. Elros mustered a slightly offended look before he laughed. Maglor snort-laughed and nudged Elros.

“Don’t worry, Elrond. You look good.” Maglor told him, getting up from his seat to ruffle Elrond’s hair. “You should pull this hair back though.” He commented, twirling a strand of hair between hi fingers. Elrond nodded and allowed Maglor to pull his hair into a low ponytail.

“Hey could someone quiz me real quick for Celebrían’s address and whatnot? I want to make sure I have it right.” Elrond asked. Almost before he had finished his sentence, Elros had taken his phone.

“I gotchu.” He said, smirking as he unlocked and looked through his brother’s phone. “What’s the address of the dance studio?” Elros asked.

“17 Prospect.” Elrond replied immediately, remembering when he had driven their ambulance there. Elros nodded. Maglor moved to stand beside Elros, reading over his shoulder.

“Address for her apartment building?” He continued. Elrond furrowed his eyebrows in concentration.

“315 Third Street?” Elrond answered.

“Nope!” Elros chirped. Maglor shook his head and gently took the phone from Elros.

“Alright, sweet pea, let me.” Maglor stated, scrolling for a minute before turning back to Elrond. “Yes, the address of the building is 315 Third. And the apartment number is…?” he trailed off, looking to Elrond.

“202 B” Elrond replied. Maglor nodded, smiling brightly. Elrond breathed a sigh of relief and Daeron pulled him into a one-armed hug.

“You’ll be fine, Elrond. You got this.” He encouraged. Elrond smiled at him before taking his phone back and gathering his wallet and keys. Elrond said goodbye to his dads and Elros and left shortly afterwards. Maglor stared after him for a few minutes, smiling proudly.

“Look at our boys, Daeron. All grown up.” He said softly. Daeron wrapped an arm around him, murmuring in agreement.

* * *

 

Celebrían had just finished strapping her boot onto her leg when her phone buzzed in her bag, where it sat on her couch next to where her crutches were propped up. She leaned over to get said phone and nodded to herself, smiling, as she read a text from Elrond letting her know that he was here and heading up to her apartment. Celebrían stood, gathering her bag and crutches.

A moment later there was a knock at the door. Celebrían called that she was coming, shuffled to the door, and promptly forgot how to breathe properly. _Who allowed him to look this good? Excuse me? Why does he get to be stupid-attractive and a sweetheart?_ She thought as she looked at him; Elrond looked as if he had just taken his dark brown hair out of a ponytail, and the royal blue shirt he wore complemented his skin tone. She noted that the top buttons were undone and had to force herself not to stare.

“Hi Elrond!” Celebrían chirped, smiling despite how awkward she felt. Despite his own nerves, Elrond felt himself smiling back as he returned the greeting, and the two left Celebrían’s apartment.

_I’m finished. I was finished as soon as she smiled at me. She’s so pretty._ Elrond thought as he glanced at Celebrían while they took the elevator down to the first floor. Her silver hair was pulled back into a long braid that she had pulled over her shoulder and was currently playing with the ends of. She wore a pastel floral skirt that was about knee-length and a lavender, off-shoulder top. At that moment Celebrían glanced over at him, caught him looking at her, and smiled again. Elrond smiled back, despite feeling himself blush.

“You look beautiful.” Elrond said as they walked out of the building and towards Elrond’s car. Celebrían struggled a little to maneuver her crutches on the curb, and Elrond was there to steady her, opening the passenger side door for her as well.

“Thank you so much! You look very nice too, you know.” Celebrían replied, blushing slightly and moving into the car. “Thank you again for coming to pick me up, Elrond. I really appreciate it.” She continued once Elrond had climbed into the car.

“Oh, don’t worry about it, Celebrían! It’s really no trouble at all.” Elrond replied, smiling at her quickly before starting the car and pulling away from the curb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And they're off! On to their first date! Guys I'm so excited, you have no idea. Thank you so much for reading! Have a nice day/night, and please leave a comment to tell me what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Silmarillion or any of those characters mentioned in this piece! It all belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien!

Celebrían huffed in annoyance as she awkwardly shifted her crutches in order to sit. Elrond shifted in his own seat, half standing and asking if Celebrían needed help. She shook her head and waved him off, laughing slightly.

“I got it, I’m fine. I promise.” She assured him. Elrond nodded, settling back into his own seat.

“Does it still bother you? Or hurt at all?” Elrond asked. Celebrían gave a half-shrug, sipping her drink.

“Some days it feels alright, some days it hurts. It’s definitely better now than it was.” She replied. A smile suddenly lit up her face, and she leaned forward towards Elrond. “And! I’m only in the boot for another few days!” She exclaimed. Elrond found himself grinning back at her.

“Awesome! And then what? Are you going to PT?” He asked. Celebrían nodded. “You should still be able to dance. But it’ll probably take some time to get back to where you were.” Elrond continued, swirling the straw of the drink he had gotten.

“Yeah, the doctor wants me to do some physical therapy. I should be back to helping Sofia teach classes soon. Like you said though, it’ll take a little longer before I’m _dancing_ -dancing again.” Celebrían answered, picking apart a piece of the blueberry muffin she had gotten. The pair lapsed into silence for a moment before Celebrían spoke again.

“Sooo how have you been, Elrond?” She asked, tilting her head slightly. Elrond looked up awkwardly, having taken a bit of his own food. He waved a hand in front of him as he chewed, and Celebrían snickered softly.

“I’ve been good, thanks! I got to see my cousin the other day, which was nice. Work’s been keeping me pretty busy, you know?” Elrond replied after a moment, feeling his face heat up.

“Yeah, I get that. Nothing too serious, I hope?” She continued. Elrond smiled again and shook his head.

“No! I haven’t had anything too serious recently, which I’m always glad for…What about you? You mentioned you work at the dance studio.” He said, raising an eyebrow slightly.

“I do! I started teaching as an assistant to Andrea when I was about sixteen. And during college I helped out with classes when I was home. I took a lot of history and art history classes. Once I graduated I wasn’t sure if what I went to school for was what I really wanted to do…” Celebrían trailed off for a moment, before shaking her head slightly. “So I started working as a full-time instructor, along with Sofia. And last year or so I kind of realized that I could very happily do this as a career. I love working with the kids, and I love being able to watch them improve. I think, when Andrea does decide to retire eventually, she’ll leave Sofia and me in charge.” She finished with a smile. “And what about you, then? Was college a thing that you did?” Celebrían asked. Elrond chuckled.

“Would you believe me if I told you I was an English major?” He asked, smirking. Celebrían raised an eyebrow and, after watching him for a minute, decided she liked the playful expression on him. Even as she felt her face heat up as she caught herself staring.

“It wouldn’t be what I thought you would do, but I wouldn’t _not believe_ you.” She countered, feeling a smirk of her own tugging at her mouth.

“When I got into college, I wasn’t sure what I wanted. But I had this one Lit professor my freshman year—his name’s Erestor, and we’re actually friends now—who inspired me. I wanted to be an English professor. I wanted to be able to help people find what they were passionate about, and to inspire them.” Elrond replied, trailing off after a moment.

Celebrían furrowed her eyebrows at his sudden silence. She felt as if there was more to this story. Elrond bit his lip as if considering whether or not he wanted to continue, when Celebrían leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and her chin on her hands.

“What changed?” She asked softly. “Not that you have to tell me, if I’m overstepping any boundaries!” she added quickly.

“Oh no, don’t worry about it!” Elrond replied, waving a hand. He took a deep breath before he continued. “Right before I got my Bachelor’s, someone Elros and I were very close to passed away. They died in a car accident. We both…felt like we should have been able to help them. We both always wanted to help people, and after that…Well, we both decided that becoming EMTs and paramedics was the way we wanted to do it. Even if it was vastly different than what I had originally planned for my life.” Elrond said, shifting slightly as he caught Celebrían’s wide-eyed stare.

“So you and Elros became paramedics together, to honor your friend?” She asked. Elrond nodded.

“That we did. We’ve always been close, Elros and I. He actually helped me get ready tonight.” Elrond replied, trying to lighten the mood again.

“Oh did he?” Celebrían responded playfully.

“He picked my outfit out and everything.” Elrond admitted, snickering. Celebrían laughed, a clear almost bell-like sound that caused Elrond’s heard to skip a beat.

“When you see him next, tell him I said he has great taste.” She added, smiling mischievously. Elrond laughed.

* * *

 

Celebrían sat in the passenger seat of the car with a huff. _I hate these crutches, and this boot. Can’t wait to go back to the doctor and be done with them._ She thought. Elrond got into the car, and she turned to give him a smile.

“Flowers!” She exclaimed suddenly, eyes widening. Elrond gave her a confused look. She pursed her lips and made a face. “I wanted to get flowers for Sofia before the show.” She explained. Celebrían bit her lip and her eyes seemed unfocused for a moment. Elrond’s eyebrows furrowed and he began to get concerned before Celebrían’s eyes locked on him. “I’m really sorry to ask this, but do you think we could stop by the florist and grab some flowers real quick? We should still be on time for the recital.” She said quickly.

“Of course we can.” Elrond replied, smiling as Celebrían sighed deeply, leaning back and tilting her head back against the headrest, mumbling as her outstretched leg knocked against the crutches that were balanced against the seat.

“Thank you so much. You’re so sweet.” She said, leaning over the center console to pull him into a one-armed hug, laughing slightly at how she had to awkwardly twist her own body to do so.

“Oh! It’s no trouble at all, really.” Elrond replied, gingerly wrapping an arm around Celebrían’s shoulders and returned the hug. As she pulled back, a few strands of her caught on the button of Elrond’s shirt, and the two laughed as Elrond untangled them, trying desperately to think of anything other than how Celebrían’s hair was soft and smelled like coconut.

* * *

 

After a short trip to the local florist—during which Elrond learned that Sofia’s favorite flowers were freesias, Celebrían’s were, in fact, roses, and that occasionally a nice bouquet of flowers came with an obnoxious price tag—the two entered the small concert hall where the recital would take place. Elrond stood up on his toes, hazel eyes searching for available seats. Celebrían practically vibrated with excitement beside him, and Elrond couldn’t help but smile widely as he adjusted the bouquet of flowers he had insisted on carrying.

“I’m so excited!” Celebrían whispered to him as she down. Her excitement was contagious, and Elrond found himself smiling again.

“I can tell.” He whispered back, taking his seat next to her.

Elrond watched for a moment as Celebrían scanned the crowd of people who were entering the hall, smiling or waving at familiar faces of people who, Elrond assumed, were the parents or other family members of the students performing in the recital. He shifted awkwardly in his seat for a moment, feeling out of place. Celebrían glanced at him, eyes darting between his face and his hand that lay on the armrest between them. She reached tentatively for his hand, laying her own on top of it. Elrond turned to look at Celebrían, meeting a wide, uncertain expression. He smiled softly, lacing their fingers together. She returned the smile, and Elrond watched the expression grow bright and excited as the lights in the hall dimmed and a hush fell over the crowd. 

“If I remember correctly,” Celebrían whispered. Elrond leaned in to listen to her. “This first group is the youngest girls, they’re about three, four, and five.” She said.

Elrond nodded, watching the group of young dancers take the stage. Many of them looked very nervous; some looked even moreso if they caught sight of family members in the audience, while some relaxed. One of the little girls onstage caught sight of Celebrían in the audience and gave a smile that was missing one front tooth. Celebrían grinned right back at her student.

“I’m so proud of them.” Celebrían said once the youngest group of dancers had finished, one hand covering her mouth as she grinned widely and one hand still interlocked with Elrond. “They were all so nervous about performing in front of people, and they did so well.” She mused.

The following performances passed in a similar manner. Celebrían whispered conspiratorially to Elrond about the detailed technicalities of the various dances, moves, or sequences her students were performing. While Elrond didn’t understand much of the technical details Celebrían mentioned, there was no denying the level of talent, hard work, and dedication the students displayed. Celebrían told stories about the girls in-between performances, and Elrond found it endearing how obviously proud of her students she was, and how she had arguably one of the loudest cheers in the audience.

“These four girls are all en pointe for the first time in this performance. That’s why they have this short solo right now.” Celebrían explained. “Anna struggled a lot early on, but she’s come so far.” She continued, subtly pointing out one of the girls to Elrond. “Look at those _sissones._ Yes Anna! You go girls!” She called. Elrond laughed softly.

At one point, Celebrían grew quiet. She shifted to sit on the edge of her seat and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, and her chin on her hands. Elrond noted the shift in her demeanor immediately, turned his attention to the stage, and understood. One single dancer, Sofia, sat on the stage, waiting for the music to begin.

Elrond was utterly enraptured by Sofia’s performance. In the one moment he took his eyes off the stage and glanced at Celebrían, she was equally mesmerized, sitting on the edge of her seat with a soft smile and slightly watery eyes. She said nothing during much of Sofia’s dance, a contrast to the loud cheers of encouragement and pride she had shown for her students. Elrond noted, however, that Celebrían let out a single, loud cheer as Sofia landed a series of jumps at the end of the routine.

Afterwards, there was a moment where the hall was deafeningly silent, before the place erupted into cheering and applause. Celebrían would have stood up, like many others in the audience were, but Elrond laid a hand on her shoulder, silently asking her to be mindful of her injury. She nodded, clapping and cheering loudly, and Elrond got to his feet.

“So!” Celebrían said, getting up slowly as announcements were made after the performance concerning where parents could pick up their children. “Do you want to come backstage?” she asked with a smirk,  a slightly mischievous look in her eyes.

“Oh I don’t know.” Elrond replied, trailing off and looking as if he was thinking deeply about the offer. Celebrían snickered, rolling her eyes slightly. “Do you think we’re allowed?” Elrond asked.

“I’m their teacher, I can do what I want?” Celebrían answered, making her way through the crowd quickly, leaving Elrond to trail behind her, wondering how she could move so fast on crutches. “Besides, I told Miss Andrea, and Sofia, that I was coming. It’d be weird if I didn’t go backstage afterwards.” She added. Elrond nodded.

“How are you moving so fast on crutches? Please be careful.” He stated, catching up to walk side by side with Celebrían.

Elrond didn’t know what he expected when they made it backstage, but he did not expect nearly all the girls who had performed in the recital to simultaneously notice Celebrían and rush towards her. Within seconds, Celebrían was in the middle of a group hug, laughing and trying to listen to each of the girls as they all called for her attention. Elrond let out a breathless laugh.

“Alright, alright! Give her some room to breathe, you guys! Dang!” Sofia called, approaching the group.

She caught sight of Elrond standing nearby, and her eyes darted from him to Celebrían for a moment before she winked, giving him a knowing look. Elrond fidgeted for a moment before Celebrían waved him over, taking the bouquet of flowers from him.

“Fi! You were amazing! You killed that whole performance, and you nailed those jumps at the end.” Celebrían praised, giving Sofia the flowers and wrapping the other woman into a hug. Sofia laughed and returned the gesture, whispering something to her friend that caused Celebrían to pull back and smack her lightly on the shoulder.

“So, how’d you like the show?” Sofia asked, turning to Elrond once most of the students had left or been picked up by parents.

“It was incredible. You’re all very talented, and it definitely shows how hard you all work and how much you love what you do.” Elrond replied immediately. Sofia’s face split into a bright smile.

“Thank you so much! We really appreciate it!” She said, before turning to Celebrían. “Bri, I like him! Keep him!” she teased. All three of them laughed. They talked for a few more minutes before Celebrían and Elrond excused themselves and headed back to the car.

“I’m so happy for Sofia. She really nailed that performance.” Celebrían said as she sat down. Elrond nodded in agreement. “That series of jumps she did at the end, when I was yelling and nearly stood up? That was what I was practicing the day I got hurt.” She mused. Elrond turned his head sharply to look at her.

“Really? I…I didn’t know.” He replied. “Wait so did Sofia learn that whole routine to perform it after you got hurt?” he asked.

“No! No, no she had been practicing it with me way before that, Miss Andrea insisted that she learn it too, just in case. But she didn’t think she was going to perform it…And then I got hurt. She did amazing, I’m so happy and proud of her.” Celebrían responded.

The rest of the trip back to Celebrían’s apartment passed in comfortable silence. Elrond insisted on walking Celebrían back up to her door. She bit her lip for a moment when they reached her apartment, and before Elrond could ask if something was wrong, Celebrían smiled, leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek, her other hand laying gently on his opposite cheek. Elrond felt his face flush, and opened his mouth to say something, but no words came.

“Thanks for coming with me tonight. I know your brother gave me your number, and it was probably really weird when I texted you that first time. But I had fun tonight.” She said, smiling at him.

“I had a good time too.” Elrond replied, still reeling from the kiss. “Maybe we could do this again sometime?” he asked hopefully after a moment.

“I’d like that.” Celebrían told him, smiling brightly before wishing him a good night, and heading into her apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there we have it folks! The first date! I had so much fun writing this, and I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, please leave a comment and tell me! Thank you for reading, and have a nice day/night!  
> Also! As a heads up, I'm a college student and the semester starts on Tuesday, so this might be the last update for a little while, because my life is about to get hectic.


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